Fear
by 18lzytwner
Summary: The hunt for a sadistic killer who seems to be targeting SVU is on and as bodies begin to pile up, Olivia gets an unexpected visitor that could change everything she's worked so hard for. 3rd in series. EO and some Rollins/Fin.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the follow up to "Her Decision". I know this first chapter is short but I hope you like it.**

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**Fear**

_By_

_18lzytwner_

**Chapter 1**

Elliot walked back into the squad room full of smiles. His skin was tanned and his mood was high. He had just gotten back from vacation with Olivia and the kids and there was nothing that could sour his mood.

"Hey there he is," Nick beamed. Despite the fact that he and Olivia were no longer partners, they both kept in touch frequently, often texting each other about play dates. Calvin had been more than happy to help out kid-sitting when Nick and his girlfriend wanted to go out as well.

"You miss me?" Elliot chuckled.

"No, just glad I won't have to third wheel with Fin and Rollins anymore," Nick smirked.

"Oh I see how it is. Just for that, I may withhold the presents I brought with me," his new partner said.

"Presents?" Fin asked as he walked into the room from the crib.

"Yes. Turns out Liv was like a kid in the candy shop when it comes to souvenir shopping," Elliot laughed.

"I knew I could count on baby girl," Fin winked.

"I'm guessing Florida agrees with you," Captain Cragen exited his office with Rollins in tow. Fin noticed the look on her face and he worried what they had been talking about while he had caught a quick nap on lunch break. She was definitely keeping him young but the long nights were starting to catch up to him.

"Indeed it does and I must say that Disneyland agrees with the family," he gave the Captain a firm handshake.

"Good. So what'd you bring us?" Cragen asked. This made everyone laugh and Elliot went into the bag he brought with him.

"All right, all right. Now Olivia picked this stuff out so any complaints, tell Nick and he'll tell Liv," Elliot chuckled. There were some giggles from Amanda and Fin rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Hey now," Nick started.

"First, for the Captain. Liv thought you could use these. It doesn't really go with the suit you're wearing today but I think you'll enjoy it anyway," the detective smirked and handed him a box which Cragen ripped open.

"A set of ties. Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto," Don smiled.

"Not exactly One PP attire but perfect for those days when you need a smile. Also, please note, the item underneath the ties," Elliot said. Don reached into the box a little further and found a coffee mug with Goofy on it.

"No more killing trees with those paper cups," Nick smirked. Elliot chuckled and turned to Fin.

"Olivia said you requested this. I was confused but I didn't question it," he said as he handed a small square box to Fin.

"It's not for me. I had it special ordered and Liv promised to pick it up," he explained.

"Oh that makes much more sense now. Here is what she bought you for you," Elliot smiled as he handed over the second box, which was a little bigger. Fin opened it up and chuckled. The inside contained a shirt Donald Duck on it that said "Don't mess with the Duck".

"That is a keeper. Make sure you wear that to the club later," Rollins teased. He gave her a look.

"For you little lady," Elliot handed Rollins a bag and she removed the tissue paper and pulled out a medium sized stuffed Mickey kissing Minnie. The tough southern belle almost had tears in her eyes and Elliot was going to ask when the phone on her desk rang. She quickly turned away from the group and answered it. Moving onto Nick, Elliot handed something over for little Zara and her half-brother Gil. Then he handed him a third box which was for him and gave him a wink. Nick had a confused look on his face but before he could open the present, Rollins abruptly dropped the phone receiver onto the desk. The loud sound of the receiver hitting the desk made everyone turn and look at her.

"They found a body in Central Park," Rollins was white as a sheet and Fin rushed over to her.

"What's going on?" He tried to shake her out of it.

"The victim hasn't been identified yet but she had a name carved into her chest," Rollins was slow to explain but Fin got the feeling that what was about to come next was not good.

"What is the name?" Elliot asked.

"Mine," she finally admitted.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"What exactly do we have Melinda?" Elliot asked as the group arrived on the scene. Major Case was also there in the even that it was determined SVU should stay away from the case. Rollins had been forced to stay behind at the precinct to list anyone who had it out for her.

"Well I can't tell you exactly. What I can tell you is, we have a white brunette female aged about twenty-five. Other than the visible wounds to her chest, she has a gunshot to the temple, and she was found by a couple officers when someone complained that there was a young female sunbathing in the nude in the park," Melinda said.

"In this weather?" Elliot was confused by the phrasing of the words. It was the middle of winter. No one would be out and about sunbathing in New York City. Heck, most people would avoid the park at this time of year given the temperatures and the winds that whipped across it.

"So what can't you tell us?" Nick wanted to know.

"Without a full exam, I can't tell you if she was sexually assaulted or whether or not she had anything in her system," the coroner was upfront.

"Got it. So we're here mostly because Rollins' name is all over this poor girl," Elliot nodded.

"Yes. Whoever this guy is, he knows Rollins enough that he didn't just carve her last name into this poor girl but he also knew her badge number and carved that along with it. What's worse, I believe that the carvings were done while she was still alive," Melinda said. Nick swallowed hard.

"Good God," he murmured.

"Was the gunshot just an afterthought? I mean wouldn't she have bled out from the cutting?" Elliot asked.

"I'll let you know when I know. Meantime, I suggest you talk to Major Case about which one of you is taking this case," the coroner nodded before heading off with her assistants to get the body back to the morgue.

"Fin, why don't you introduce us to your new friends?" Elliot smiled slightly as he approached the partner-less detective who had been talking with the other two detectives.

"This is Detective Matt Sanchez and his partner Detective Andrea Sweeney. They just got off the phone with Captain Hannah," the detective answered. Elliot quickly introduced himself and Nick followed suit.

"So what does your Captain have to say?" Nick asked.

"He's willing to give this case to you guys as long as Rollins stays out of it," Sanchez explained.

"Understandable," Elliot nodded.

"There is a condition," Sweeney spoke up.

"What is that?" Fin wanted to know.

"If this thing goes sideways and more bodies start to drop, you hand it over, no questions asked. This creep is pretty sick and our Captain wants to make sure everything is done by the book," she told them.

"Fair enough. We don't want this guy walking," Nick nodded.

"Ok then. Good luck fellas," Sanchez nodded and he and his partner turned and left.

"So where do we start?" Fin asked.

"I would say that we need to find our nine-one-one caller. He or she might have a connection to this case. Why else would they be in the middle of Central Park in the middle of winter in the middle of the day?" Elliot wondered.

Meanwhile at Elliot and Olivia's place, the latter was attempting to decorate for the holidays. Christmas was only two weeks away and they had yet to decorate the tree or anything else in the apartment. Granted, she was still using her crutches to get around but she hoped that after another six months of therapy she would be able to walk without them.

"Momma," Charlotte beamed form her playpen. The fifteen month old was just very happy and Olivia loved the fact that she had had the opportunity to have Charlotte before her encounter with Lewis. The fact of the matter was she and Elliot had not been able to engage in their usual voracious bedtime activities since she'd been hurt and the doctor said that until she could walk without crutches, she would have to wait. It was a healing process and they could still goof around, they just couldn't do the hot and heavy, four alarm fire kind of stuff that would leave most people embarrassed. The doctor also warned that even when she was better, she could not take the risk of getting pregnant. Given her age along with her injuries, any childbirth would have to be done via C-section and the possibilities of complications had increased. Olivia had been a little disappointed that two would be her final number of children but Elliot had brought up that if she wanted to adopt, they could. She had appreciated the gesture but the fact of the matter was they were barely scraping by financially. Her medical bills had been extensive and the coverage had not covered everything. Her pension and disability checks basically went to cover her treatment while Elliot's check would have to cover the rent and their other bills. Calvin had offered to get a job but at fifteen, Olivia knew that she didn't want him to have to worry about work.

"Who's my big girl?" She asked Charlotte as she leaned up against the playpen. Olivia was about to pick her up when she heard a knock on the door. Thinking it odd, she made her way over to the door and looked through the peephole. There stood a young man, only a few years older than Calvin, holding a large envelope.

"Who is it?" She asked through the door.

"Delivery service. I have a package for Olivia Stabler," the young man explained.

"I didn't order anything," she said, still refusing to open the door.

"I know you didn't ma'am. The court did, you've been served" he said. To this she opened the door and the man handed her the envelope.

"Are you ok ma'am? Do you need some help?" He asked as he saw her face go white.

"I'll be fine. Thank you," he nodded but he didn't look like he believed her. She closed the door and headed back to the couch. The young man shrugged and walked away. Olivia barely made it to the couch before she collapsed. There were only two reasons she would be served with a court summons and she didn't like either. Opening the envelope, she pulled out the paperwork and gasped.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The bastard is crafty, I'll give him that," Fin said as he hung up his desk phone and turned to the others in the squad room.

"What's up?" Nick asked.

"The call to nine-one-one came from a burner phone," the elder detective told him.

"That's not helpful," Elliot shook his head and stood from his seat. He headed over to the electronic board and punched up all the information they had. Mostly "all" meant the body and the crime scene photos.

"Anybody from Rollins list come up hinky?" Elliot asked.

"Most of the people she wrote down didn't know her badge number. Some form Atlanta knew her old one but doesn't play into our problem," Nick explained.

"So we're nowhere until Melinda finds something on the body," Fin said.

"Basically," Nick nodded.

"This may sound like a stretch but do you remember that case about ten years ago out of Long Island? Where the killer was carving words into his victims' bodies?" Elliot turned around from the board and looked at Fin.

"That guy is doing life up at Attica. They moved him out there thinking he'd live longer," Fin said.

"Is he in Gen. Pop.?" Elliot wondered.

"Segregated unit. They didn't want him out and about with the other inmates," Fin replied.

"So he never had any cell mates?" His friend asked.

"Not as far as I know. I'll run a check though," Tutuola nodded and got typing away at his keyboard.

"Who is this guy?" Nick asked.

"There was this sicko who kept abducting people and carving them up. The detectives out there would find body parts that had been removed and each body part had a number carved into it. The guy carved up the victims before chopping off parts. Typically the victims died of blood loss and shock from the carving," Elliot explained.

"That's nasty," Amaro shook his head.

"And stupid. He had been careful not to leave any evidence behind on the bodies but when he was carving up his last victim he got sloppy. His blood mingled with her blood and then in an effort to disguise it, he departed from his MO. Tried dumping the body in the water and the local PD caught him in the act. Never once did he show any remorse and even at his trial he said he'd do it again if he could. The voices inside his head were telling him to do it. Defense attorney tried an insanity defense but the whole thing about realizing that he'd contaminated the body and was trying to get rid of it, it didn't really work, especially since he took the stand and basically admitted he was trying to get rid of the body without getting caught," Elliot told him.

"Well there goes that theory," Fin spoke up.

"Why?" Elliot asked.

"The guy has been alone in the segregated unit since he got there. They even made sure to keep the cells on either side of him empty. They only things he talks to are the walls and the roaches," Fin explained.

"Any other cases with similar MO's?" Nick asked.

"Running a search now," the detective nodded.

"Hey guys," Rollins said as she walked back into the squad room.

"You're not supposed to be here Rollins," Fin stood up.

"It was stay here or have a protective detail follow me everywhere," the blonde admitted.

"Do you know this girl?" Nick asked as he showed her a headshot of the victim.

"No. I've never seen her before," Amanda shook her head.

"We're missing something," Elliot huffed and turned back to the board. Just then the Captain walked into the room from his office.

"Fin, Amaro, head over to the Morgue. Melinda has something for you. Rollins sit at your desk. Stabler, my office," Cragen dispatched orders and everyone went to where they were supposed to.

"What's going on Captain?" Elliot asked as Cragen shut the door to his office.

"I just got a call from Calvin. He hasn't been able to reach Liv and Social Services took him from school and have him down at their office," the Captain said.

"Social Services? What is going on? Why can't he reach Liv?" Elliot asked.

"Good questions that I don't know the answer to. I've sent some uni's to your apartment. Grab Rollins and head out to see what is going on with Social Services," Cragen instructed. Elliot quickly turned and left the office.

"Rollins with me," he didn't slow down as he grabbed his coat. She quickly grabbed her coat and headed out with him.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they got into the elevator.

"Social Services. Something very weird is going on," Elliot explained. He quickly exited the elevator and Rollins rushed to keep up. They got into the car and Elliot put on all the lights and sirens as they made their way down through the city. Rollins tried calling Olivia as they drove but she did not have any luck.

"Where is my son?" Elliot asked as he walked up to the receptionist and pulled out his badge.

"He's with the Social Worker," she stammered. Obviously Calvin was the only one in the office at the moment.

"Where is the Social Worker?" Elliot gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"You have to understand, my partner is a little anxious. He can't reach his wife and he has no idea why his fifteen year old son is down at your office," Rollins stepped in before things got messy.

"I just answer the phones. Please let me get Mrs. Rothschild for you," the girl said. Quickly she picked up the phone and dialed someone's number. In hurried words, she told the social worker that NYPD was here and she had best get out to the front office.

"Dad?!" A shout came from behind the door that Elliot assumed led to the individual offices.

"Calvin?!" Elliot responded as he headed for the door. He didn't get far as the Social Worker opened the door. She stood at five foot and had thick glasses on. Her mousy brown hair was in an updo and she wore a brown skirt with cream button down shirt and completed the outfit with a brown jacket and white sneakers.

"Elliot Stabler, I presume?" Mrs. Rothschild asked.

"That's Detective Stabler. Why is my son here?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Sir, your adoptive son is here because his custody has been thrown into question. I am placing him into foster care until the nature of his custody can be established," Rothschild explained.

"What? Olivia and I adopted him using all the correct paperwork almost two years ago. What are you talking about?" Elliot demanded.

"It seems that biological relatives have stepped forward and seek to obtain custody. As such, the case has been assessed and it has been deemed that given the nature of Calvin's current living arrangements, that it is preferable that he be removed to foster care," it was at this moment that Elliot almost lost what little cool he had left.

"What do you mean?" Rollins asked before he could say anything.

"When Calvin was placed with Olivia Benson, as part of the original arrangement, it was due to the lack of biological relatives and the fact that Miss Benson was more than capable of handling a teenage boy on her own. As it has come to our attention, she no longer works and is on disability. That coupled with the fifteen month old at home and the fact that recent events place the family in debt, when biological relatives came forward seeking custody, it was determined that Calvin should be removed from his current home. I'm sure the paperwork was sent to the home as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to finish," Rothschild said. With that the Social Worker turned and the door shut in his face. Elliot almost barreled through the door and confronted her when two uniformed officers entered the office.

"Detective Stabler?" The taller one asked.

"Yes?" He whirled around.

"There's been an accident sir. You need to come with us to the hospital," his partner said.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Glad you're enjoying it. :)**

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**Chapter 4**

Meanwhile at the Coroner's Office, Melinda was explaining to Nick and Fin what exactly warranted them making a trip down to see her.

"So you're saying that the guy assaulted our victim and then he did that?" Nick felt as though he was going to be sick. He'd seen a lot of things that no person should ever encounter but this one really made him queasy.

"Yes it would appear that after raping her he shoved this corked test tube with a note into her rectum," Melinda nodded.

"What does the note say?" Fin asked, wishing that he hadn't had the soup for lunch as he could feel it working its way back up into his throat. Despite all his years of service, sometimes the sickos would continue to surprise him by sinking even further in their methods of depravity.

"This death is only the beginning. Then it was signed with just an "F"," Melinda explained.

"Oh so he wants to taunt the police," Nick said.

"He wants more than that," she told them as she covered the body back up.

"How do you figure?" Fin wanted to know.

"He left no DNA, no fingerprints. Once I got the body back inside, you could smell the bleach that was used to clean it. There is not one scrap of evidence that I can give you that will help in this case. I'm running her fingerprints through the system and I've sent a DNA sample off to missing persons to see if they get a hit but nothing yet," Melinda heaved a sigh. She looked tired and Fin couldn't blame her. It had been a long day and they were getting nowhere fast.

"So he wants to taunt us and get away with his crimes. That's really ballsy," Nick shook his head after thanking Melinda and heading for the door.

"You guys may want to follow me," she suddenly came up behind them slipping her coat on as she went.

"Why what happened?" Fin asked.

"They found another body and it's carved up like the last one," Melinda said. That's when Nick's phone rang and he quickly answered it.

"Amaro," Fin whirled around, upon realizing that his temporary partner wasn't beside him and gave him a look. The younger detective had stopped dead in his tracks. Even Melinda turned around when she realized that the detectives weren't following her out of the building.

"Thanks, we'll be there as soon as we can, there's been another murder," he said before hanging up.

"What's going on?" Fin asked.

"That was Rollins. Stabler left her at Social Services when two uni's came to pick him up. Liv is in the hospital," he told them.

"Good God," Melinda said.

"What is Rollins doing at Social Services?" Fin wanted to know.

"Apparently there are actual biological family members who have made a claim for custody of Calvin. She didn't know what happened to Liv or Charlotte," Nick filled them in.

"On our way to the crime scene, call the Captain," Fin ordered. Nick nodded slowly and the group quickly left the building. As much as they wanted to be with their former coworker there was a monster on the loose and he needed to be caught.

"How bad is it Doc?" Elliot asked upon the doctor entering the waiting room.

"She has a broken arm, a concussion, and there is swelling in her spine near her injury. You're very lucky that the uniformed officers found her when they did. Had she been left like that on the stairs, she may have damaged something even more. I don't think we're dealing with anything life threatening," Doctor Bettcher explained.

"Thank God," Elliot heaved a sigh of relief.

"What was she doing in the stairwell anyway?" The doctor asked.

"She apparently had the babysitter rush over and then headed out to get Calvin. He is in trouble and she just wanted to get to him," Elliot explained.

"All right well I hope that things with Calvin work out ok. You can see her in about ten minutes," Bettcher smiled slightly and then left Elliot to his thoughts.

"Elliot!" A familiar voice made him stand up and take notice.

"Munch!" The two men quickly exchanged handshakes and Elliot brought his old friend up to speed. While they were talking, ADA Barba arrived and was given the cliff notes version.

"Let me make a few phone calls," Munch said, relieved that Olivia was ok but distressed that his favorite "nephew" was involved in a custody battle.

"You just started as a special investigator for the ADA; you can't be calling in favors already," Elliot said.

"Yes, he can and I will do everything I can to make sure we get this sorted out," Barba nodded.

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Fin and Amaro arrived on the scene, moments after Melinda did. This time there had not been an anonymous nine-one-one call but instead a meter maid found the body when she investigated the smell of bleach coming from the vehicle which had collected multiple parking tickets over the last two days. Given the temperature outside the process of decomposition was considerably slowed which allowed the facts of the murder to remains. Getting out of the car, the elder detective shook his head.

"What's up?" Amaro asked, still not sure about his temporary partner's moods yet.

"You don't think this is some giant coincidence?" Fin wondered as they headed over to the body.

"What do you mean?" Nick was confused.

"Well somebody comes to take Calvin away from Liv and Elliot while this serial killer is trying to get SVU's attention?" Fin supposed.

"I think you hung out with Munch for too long," Nick shook his head.

"Well I don't think he did. You know how that note was signed with an "F"?" Melinda spoke up.

"Yeah, not much to go on," Fin said.

"That's because this body doesn't have Amanda's name carved into it, it has yours," the coroner said, showing the detectives what she meant. The elder detectives name was carved into the victim along with his badge number.

"I'll call the Captain," Fin backed away from the scene and Nick continued to talk to Melinda.

"She's blonde, so this guy doesn't really have a type," he said.

"It would appear so. I'm not sure how much help I will be with this one either. The guy used so much bleach, that she stuck to the trunk interior," the coroner heaved an exasperated sigh.

"My guess is that this is probably her car," Nick told her.

"It would track with his MO, public place with nothing that traces back to him," she shrugged.

"The Captain wants us to hand this over to Major Case," Fin said as he came back to the two.

"What? This guy is targeting our squad," Nick was upset at the decision.

"Seems he didn't have a choice. IAB called and they want everything handed over to Major Case ASAP," Fin explained.

"IAB? Why are they sticking their nose in?" Amaro wanted to know.

"I have no idea. Something weird is going on. Captain says that the whole unit is suspended with pay until further notice," Tutuola didn't like it one bit either.

"Then since we're off the clock we better get over to Social Services and find out what is going on," Nick said.

"Agreed," Fin nodded. They waited until the Major Case detectives arrived so they could hand over the crime scene and then headed over to find Rollins.

"What do you mean IAB is involved?" Elliot asked Captain Cragen when he arrived at the hospital. It had been longer than ten minutes like the doctor had promised and the detective was getting nervous out in the waiting room.

"They think someone in the unit is perpetrating the crimes. They can't explain how the perp got the badge numbers and they aren't taking any risks. The case has been handed to Major Case and the unit is officially under investigation," Cragen said.

"They seriously think that we would go out and kill young women? To what point and purpose?" Elliot wanted to know.

"We've got a leak and they want it plugged. Someone has to be helping this guy. I don't like it any more than you do but for now, we play by their rules," the Captain told him.

"This will do nothing to help the custody case," Elliot sunk into a nearby chair.

"What do you mean?" Cragen asked as he sat down next to him.

"The supposed family members have a claim that Social Services is taking seriously because somehow they found out that Liv and I are not doing well financially. Her medical bills have taken a toll and let's face it; disability checks and her pension are not enough money. The only reason that we were able to go on vacation was because we took out a loan. I mean we're not getting behind on our bills but things are tight. Then because she's getting disability checks, Social Services, thinks that means that she can't take care of the kids. The kids are her life. She doesn't have any trouble with them. Now if it comes out that there's even the slightest possibility that I'm a dirty cop, they'll take both Calvin and Charlotte away," Elliot buried his head in his hands.

"When is the hearing?" The Captain wanted to know.

"Next week. Rollins said that the receptionist was a little more forthcoming than the social worker," Stabler said.

"That doesn't give us much time does it?" Munch pondered.

"No but I think I know just the person who can help us," Barba quickly grabbed his phone and dialed Casey Novak's number.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Just wanted to wish all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving. I'll see you all after the Thursday holiday. :)**

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**Chapter 6**

"Detective Stabler, sorry for the wait but you can go in and see Olivia now," Doctor Bettcher came over to the group while Barba was on the phone.

"Thank you. Is everything ok Doc?" Elliot asked.

"Olivia is fine. I had another patient who decided to have an emergency right when I was coming to get you," he smiled slightly.

"Oh, well thanks," Elliot nodded and quickly headed down to the room number that the doctor had given him. He walked into the room and slipped by the patient in the bed near the door. Olivia was in the next bed behind the curtain.

"Liv," he breathed.

"El," she smiled slightly but he could tell she was in pain. The IV drip was undoubtedly full of powerful anti-inflammatory medication and despite the light over the bed being off, she was squinting.

"You scared me have to death, you know that?" He asked with a smirk.

"I'm good at that," she hadn't lost her sense of humor.

"Yes you are," he chuckled.

"Where is Calvin?" The question was inevitable and he knew that she would not like what he had to say.

"Social Services is putting him into foster care until the hearing next week," Elliot swallowed hard. Olivia's face fell.

"A week isn't enough time for them to conduct an investigation," she said.

"No and I don't understand all of it but Barba is making some phone calls," he told her.

"What are we going to do?" Her usually stoic behavior was slipping and showing her fear. It happened more often since Lewis but she still had the best poker face that Elliot had ever seen and he wondered if he would ever be able to knock down all the walls that came with the woman that was now Olivia Stabler.

"What we always do, fight," Elliot said. She only nodded and he could tell she was deep in thought. They both heard footsteps and Elliot turned to see who it was.

"We've got a situation," Cragen told them.

"What kind of situation?" Elliot asked.

"Rollins isn't at Social Services and she's not answering her phone," the Captain explained.

"How can that be?" Elliot wanted to know.

"Nick and Fin went over there to see if they could help her and the receptionist said that she received a phone call and then stepped outside, promising to be right back except when Fin and Amaro arrived, she wasn't there," Cragen said.

"You don't think that our serial killer got her do you?" Stabler wondered. He hated to voice the question aloud but Rollins wouldn't just disappear with Calvin in trouble.

"I have grave concerns. I'm going to meet them at Social Services. The unit may be suspended but I'm not going to let something happen to Rollins because of it," the Captain told them before quickly leaving the room.

"This just gets better and better," Elliot heaved a sigh and quickly filled Olivia in on what had been happening with the case outside of their own.

Casey Novak hauled herself up the last staircase that led to the Stabler apartment. She wasn't that out of shape but the fact that the elevator had been broken and she'd been fighting a nasty little head cold, made for tough stair climbing. She got to the door wheezing and gave it a knock while she tried to catch her breath.

"Hello?" A confused voice said from the other side of the door.

"Hi, my name is Casey Novak, I work with Elliot. He says there are papers in here that I need to retrieve," she tried to smile but her whole face hurt.

"I need to see some ID, please," the disembodied voice through the door told her. Casey nodded. Elliot and Olivia weren't taking any chances with the safety of their babysitter or Charlotte. She pressed her ADA badge up against the door and it opened to reveal a sixteen year old brunette who was about five foot five tall.

"Hi I'm Mindy from one floor down. Mr. and Mrs. Stabler didn't say anything about having someone over," she said as she let Casey in and closed the door.

"I do apologize for that but Olivia is in the hospital again and some developments have come up in a case that Elliot is working on so they sent me over," Casey explained.

"Oh no, what happened?" Mindy asked.

"Olivia had a tumble on the stairs," the ADA said.

"And I was right here and didn't even know it, I feel awful," Mindy admitted.

"Not your fault, she was upset about some paperwork that came in the mail and she really shouldn't be taking the stairs but with the elevator out... anyway she said the paperwork was in a big manila envelope," Casey wondered how much that cold medicine was going to her head.

"She must have meant this," Mindy turned and went to the coffee table where she retrieved an envelope.

"Looks about right," Casey nodded.

"Did they say anything about me bringing Charlotte somewhere?" The babysitter asked, assuming that they would want the little one with them. Olivia very rarely left Charlotte at home with the babysitter for longer than an hour or two and right now it had been longer than that.

"I would hold tight for now. I'll give Elliot a call and find out what is going on," Casey promised before thanking her for her help and waving at Charlotte who was happily playing in the playpen.

At Social Services, Nick was pacing, Fin was continually dialing Amanda's number. Each time, it rang, it went to voicemail. Being suspended, they technically couldn't investigate but having friends over at TARU; they were hoping the ping information from her cell phone came through soon.

"Captain!" Nick shouted as his superior came over to them.

"What have we got?" He asked.

"Nothing and the case was handed over to Major Case again," Fin was angry.

"They're keeping us informed but there is nothing we can do here. They won't even let us inside the building. In the meantime, Social Services whisked Calvin off during the commotion," Nick was just as angry.

"I'm making some phone calls," Cragen said.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Shout outs to Haley and Anonymous for their reviews! Glad you liked it! More on Amanda coming this way. ;)**

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**Chapter 7**

Casey pored over the files at her desk that she had taken from the Stabler apartment. The adoption of Calvin by Olivia had indeed had some stipulations but as far as she was aware they were still being met. Given that Calvin was still under eighteen however the State had every right to step in if a claim for the child had been made and that the claim had merit. Being the biological relative of the child was certainly a legitimate claim. The problem was, the paperwork did not give the name of the relative making the claim nor did it explain the relation.

"What in the hell is going on?" She muttered to herself before picking up the phone and dialing a friend of hers who was schooled in the laws of adoption and Family Court where the hearing was to be held.

"Matty?" She asked when her friend answered the phone.

"Is that you Casey? You don't sound so good," he replied.

"Thanks a lot," she chuckled and then ended up having a coughing fit.

"I hope whatever you need can be discussed over the phone," he chuckled.

"I'm afraid not. Can we meet at my apartment in an hour? I've got something that is up your alley and I really need the help," Casey explained.

"I'll bring my germ mask and see you there," Matt chuckled and got off the phone. Casey rolled her eyes and began shoving the paperwork into her briefcase. Hopefully Matt would have more insight and hopefully he could take the case for Olivia and Elliot.

"What's going on?" Elliot asked as he hopped out of the cab that dropped him off at the Social Services office.

"How's Liv?" Fin asked; a little surprised that Elliot had left her at the hospital.

"She's dealing with a broken arm, a concussion, and some swelling on her spine. She told me that if I didn't get over here she'd get out of bed and kick my ass," Elliot chuckled.

"She's fine then," Nick smirked. Their brief moment of levity was broken by the Captain finally getting off his phone. He had spent the better part of the last twenty minutes arguing with the Chief of D's and then going over his head to the Commissioner.

"So what's our next move?" Fin wanted to know. He was anxious to find Rollins and all this time that they had been wasting arguing about trying to help was not helping matters.

"We've been allowed to assist in finding Rollins but anything that even smells like our serial killer is to be handled by Major Case," Cragen shook his head.

"That's something," Nick tried to be positive.

"I'll give the heads up to Major Case. You three see what they have so far," the Captain ordered. He quickly got back on the phone and the three detectives walked into the building.

"That's close enough guys," Detective Robert Hubbell stopped them at the door.

"We've been given permission to help find Rollins," Fin said.

"All right then I'll bring you up to speed while my partner is talking to the receptionist. We have video of Rollins from the cameras outside showing her being put into a late model sedan by two men. They appear to be middle aged, both about six foot tall. Problem is they are wearing hoodies and their faces are obscured. We've sent the video to be analyzed," Hubbell explained.

"She just got into the car with them?" Nick asked incredulously.

"No. We believe that the driver pulled up and somehow managed to get her near the car. On the tape it's obvious that he then Tasered her," the detective told them.

"And the receptionist missed all of that?" Elliot couldn't believe it happened in the middle of a busy street and no one said anything or saw something.

"My partner is finding out. We're also canvassing the neighborhood but so far I don't have anything more than that. We're hoping that we get a readable plate number. In the meantime we have an alert out for the make and model of the car," the detective said. He then excused himself when his phone rang. It was a short phone call and he heaved a sigh.

"What is it?" Fin asked.

"They found Rollins' cell phone smashed on the curb. Looks like the perps threw it out the window while they were driving," Hubbell filled them in.

"What direction where they headed?" Stabler wanted to know.

"The phone is only two blocks north of here," he said, shaking his head. Just then his partner, Detective Sam Dixon, came over.

"The receptionist didn't see what happened out front as she was answering the phone and helping to arrange transport of the child they had in custody. She has no idea how much time had passed since the detective walked out the door to the time that she realized the detective hadn't come back," Dixon explained.

"Damn," Fin was upset. Hubbell's radio crackled to life and the voice of one of the uniform's out canvassing.

"We have a witness here who I think you guys should talk to," the voice said.

"We're on our way," Hubbell told him and then wrote down the location of the officers.

"I'll go with you guys," Nick offered. Dixon nodded and he allowed Nick to go in his stead. He then turned to Fin and Elliot.

"Any thoughts on who would want to hurt Rollins?" Dixon asked.

"We went through her case files when they found the body of the first victim in Central Park. The only ones we'd have to worry about are in jail," Elliot explained.

"What about her personal life? Did she have a bad break up? Any bad habits?" Dixon wanted to know.

"As far as I know everything in her personal life was just fine," Fin answered. He worried that her gambling may have come back to haunt her but she'd been going to meetings and he'd been going with her to be there for her. Although for the last two meetings, he had not been able to go with her and he wondered if she was doing something else at the time. There was that recent rough patch with the Olson case and he was beginning to worry. Elliot could see the wheels churning and he quickly said that there was nothing he could think of. He would ask Tutuola later.

"All right. Might as well head back to the precinct and see if TARU has anything for us," Dixon nodded.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: People have been asking where Rollins is... ;) Shout outs to Emily and anonymous! Hope you like this chapter too!**

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**Chapter 8**

"Wakey, wakey, Detective Rollins," the voice called from out of the darkness and she slowly opened her eyes, hoping that the reason she recognized the voice was because she was waking up from a dream. However upon opening her eyes she realized the events that flashed in her memory had been real.

"Officer Simpson?" She was thoroughly confused why he would be there, a mere six inches from her face, and why she was tied to a chair. It was freezing where she was but then she realized it was because her jacket had been taken off and her gloves were missing. Looking at her outfit, she thanked whoever was listening that she was still fully clothed otherwise.

"I'm surprised you remember my name," he chuckled.

"Kind of hard to forget after what happened," she pointed out. It may not have been the smartest thing to say but she hoped it would buy her some time to figure out where she was.

"I'll admit I didn't see it coming but I made some friends so things aren't all bad," Simpson admitted as he stood up.

"You seemed like a good cop. Why'd you do it?" She asked, again praying she could figure out where they were. So far all she'd managed to glean was that it was an unheated room inside a large concrete block building.

"How could I not? The salary I was making just wasn't enough. Besides weed is not some hard core drug anymore anyway. However I fear we are getting off topic. I expected you would try something like that," he chuckled.

"How'd you get out?" Rollins wanted to know.

"I ratted on my cellmate and they shaved some time off for good behavior. Although I imagine by now the Parole Officer has noticed that I haven't reported in and I'm sure the guys up at Fishkill are prepping a bunk for me as we speak," he chuckled.

"We didn't get an alert that you were even out on parole," she wondered how that mistake could have been made. After all, Simpson had been thrown out of SVU after his nasty little dealing habit had been discovered by Narcotics.

"Yes well, you know how it is. They are over worked and my crime really wasn't that dangerous. Enough about me though. I'd be more worried about the friend I made while I was there," the look on his face made her want to vomit except at this point she was beginning to realize she couldn't feel her feet or her hands. The cold was seeping into her bones and if she didn't get warm soon she knew that there was going to be a problem.

"I'm freezing," she said ignoring his comment.

"You won't be for long. Just a few more questions and then I'll get you warmed up," Simpson smirked and this time the bile was right in the back of her throat.

"How close is the investigation to finding me and my friend?" He wanted to know.

"I was kicked off the investigation as soon as they discovered that poor girl with my badge number carved into her chest," it was the truth.

"Come on now. We both know that you would have tried to stay in the loop," he pressed.

"I tried but when the second body turned up the whole unit was told to back off," she explained.

"Then you are of no use to me and my friend and that is not good for you," Simpson shook his head. Rollins went to say something but she was struck from behind and the world went dark.

"Traffic cams have been tracking the car as it drove through the city," TARU tech Jim Tate explained.

"What about the license plate? Does that get us an owner?" Fin wanted to know.

"Negative. It was stolen off a tow thousand and three F-150 pickup truck," Tate shook his head.

"So all we have is the car driving around the city with Rollins in the back seat. Any good shots of the guys' faces?" Stabler asked.

"No but it gave us a little insight into the path of the vehicle," Tate pulled up the videos on the multiple screens he had in front of him.

"The car looped around for about twenty minutes. My guess is that it was in an effort to get lost in traffic then it took a turn down toward the docks where the street camera coverage ends," he continued.

"We need everyone down at those docks right now," Fin said.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Shout outs to my two anonymous reviewers. Glad you liked it. Hope you like this chapter as well.**

**A/N2: Just to let everybody know, this may be the last chapter I get a chance to post before Christmas. I hope you all enjoy it and I hope those of you who will be celebrating as I will be, have a wonderful holiday. :)**

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**Chapter 9**

Fin and Elliot raced toward the docks, their sirens blaring and at least ten squad cars were right behind them. Nick had been informed and he promised to fill them in about what the witness said after they found Rollins. He was on his way with a bunch of squad cars as well. Elliot stopped the car and Fin exited the vehicle immediately trying to discern which building they should search first. The sun was sinking below the horizon and if Rollins was outside her chances of survival dropped exponentially. The forecast has called for temperatures dropping down to ten degrees after sunset.

"Set up a perimeter! No one leaves this area until Detective Rollins is found!" Elliot commanded the uniforms that jumped out of their patrol cars.

"Stabler I don't like this," Fin said as Elliot approached him.

"What's going through your head?" The detective asked.

"Abandoned buildings. Out in the middle of nowhere…" Fin trailed off. Elliot knew what he was getting at. It was the perfect place to commit murder with no one hearing anything.

"Come on. Let's sweep this building," Stabler tried to get him to focus on the task at hand. Quickly they moved toward the building with four uniforms in tow.

"These guys are dangerous. Keep a sharp eye and radio before moving into anything if you find something," Elliot instructed. With that the group split up and began searching. They covered the building but found no sign of any crimes have been committed and moved outside. By now Nick and the other squad cars had arrived and they had moved to the next building. A police helicopter had been called in to help with the search but there was still no sign of the car that had driven down there or Detective Rollins.

"This is taking too long," Fin said as he and Elliot moved into the third and final building on the dock row.

"We've… uh… we've… got a… a situation," the low, unfamiliar, shaky voice crackled over the radio.

"What's you're location?" Elliot asked into the radio.

"I'm… I'm in the… third building… on the ground floor. I think… we need… the bomb squad," the uniform replied in a low tone; his was barely keeping it together.

"I want everyone except the officer who found the bomb back. Get on the horn and radio for the bomb squad," Fin spoke into his radio before rushing into the building. It didn't take him long to find the officer and what exactly he had stumbled over.

"What your name?" Fin asked quietly.

"Officer Kevin Bauer sir," the uniform was visibly shaking in his boots. Fin was thankful he wasn't making a lot of noise doing it considering they had no idea what kind of device they were dealing with.

"How long you been on the job?" Tutuola wanted to know, though he suspected the answer.

"Two weeks," Bauer replied. Fin nodded.

"Why do we need the bomb squad?" He asked.

"The car is ticking sir," Bauer responded. He hadn't noticed it before but the officer was right. The car was ticking.

"All right, I need you to help me sweep the exterior of the car. We can't get too close until the bomb squad gets here but the more information we can give them the better," Fin explained. Bauer nodded and he went around the front of the car while the detective went around the back. Fin's heart sank when he saw what looked like blood on the trunk near the key hole. He was betting that it was Rollins' blood and that she had been there but now he wasn't sure.

"Sir, I think I found something," Bauer said. Fin carefully joined him and looked at what the uniform was looking at.

"Doesn't that look like a trip wire?" The young man asked as he pointed to a thin wire that was trailing from under the front hood of the car, down the passenger side, and into the trunk.

"It does. Why don't you get outside and lead the bomb squad in here? You've done excellent work Officer," Fin smiled.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Bauer slowly backed away from the car before he had gone too far though, he turned and ran outside.

"Amanda are you here?" Fin asked, trying not to raise his voice. He got no response and was beginning to wonder if the car was a decoy. While they were distracted by the bomb, the kidnappers could have her someplace else doing God knows what to her.

Outside, the officer approached Elliot and explained what had happened inside. The detective nodded and asked again over the radio how long it would take for the bomb squad to get there. Five minutes he was told. _Five minutes and everyone could be dead_, Elliot thought.

His thoughts immediately went to getting Fin out of the building. If the bomb went off before the bomb squad got there, he'd never forgive himself. Then again if there was even the slightest chance that Olivia was inside the trunk of the car. He would have needed to be drug out kicking and screaming. Fin undoubtedly would be the same way.

"We're here," the Captain of the Bomb Squad shook him from his thoughts.

"Inside is some sort of car bomb. The vehicle is ticking and there's some sort of wire between the engine block and the trunk. There is a possibility that SVU Detective Amanda Rollins is stuck inside the trunk. Her partner Detective Fin Tutuola is waiting for you," Elliot explained. The Captain nodded as the guy in the bomb suit exited the large vehicle that they had arrived in. The Captain brought his man up to speed and then he headed inside.

To Be Continued…


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: All right, I have posted before the holiday. I hope you enjoy it!**

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**Chapter 10**

"This is confusing. How do you deal with this on a day to day basis?" Casey asked her friend, Matthew Green.

"By remembering that at the end of the day, the kids are the most important part of my job," he smiled as he set the Chinese food down he'd ordered for them.

"Won Ton soup?" She asked.

"Perfect for the sick one," he chuckled as he handed her the quart sized container.

"Thanks," Casey smiled.

"Welcome. Now run through what you have and what you dealt with the first time there was a custody hearing," Matt said. She nodded and quickly explained the circumstances of Calvin's adoption and what had happened when there was paperwork delivered to Olivia's door.

"Now there are very few reasons that the petition would remain anonymous. One would be that the petitioner is currently in Witness Protection but then the claim would have been filed by the Federal government. Even then, they typically don't want to get involved because of the danger presented to the person they are protecting. It would only be done under extreme circumstances. Another reason could be that there is fear of police reprisals. I mean Olivia and Elliot are two of your best friends. Would they go off the reservation and use their influence to make the case disappear?" Matt wanted to know.

"No. As much as they love Calvin, they would never do anything to jeopardize the possibility of ever seeing him again. It would hurt like hell but they wouldn't do that. I have to admit though; I want to know how Social Services found out about Olivia and her condition and the family's finances. It seemed like whoever is making the claim knew things that they couldn't possibly know unless they had someone investigating them," Casey said.

"Well it's not uncommon for family members to hire PI's to find out things that could damage the case of the other family members. Obviously they aren't dealing with the same Social Worker as before either," he said.

"No, they aren't. The social worker that originally Ok'd Calvin's release to Olivia has left the department. She couldn't handle the stress," she told him.

"Well then maybe there isn't a person who is filing. Maybe the new Social Worker reviewed his case and decided to open an investigation," Matt pondered.

"Since when does Child Services have time for that?" Casey asked him.

"Never but it is not unusual if some has filed a complaint," he said, grabbing his chop sticks.

"Complaint for what? Calvin is well taken care of," she said.

"I don't doubt it but you don't see the day to day operations, do you?" He asked.

"No but that means we have a rat and I think I know just the person I need to talk to," Casey said.

"Good. In the meantime, I will take their case, pro bono," Matt nodded.

"Seriously? You aren't going to get in trouble for that?" She gave him a look.

"When I tell them that I'm doing it for the NYPD, they will back off," he winked. She laughed which turned into a coughing fit.

"You need to see a doctor," he told her. Casey rolled her eyes and they got back to the task at hand of eating their food.

Meanwhile the bomb squad was trying to figure out the device that was being used in the car. The hood of the car had been lifted after it was determined that it was not actually part of the trigger mechanism. After that the bomb tech had not wanted Fin anywhere around but until it could be confirmed that Rollins wasn't in the trunk, he wasn't going anywhere.

"The timer is running out. You need to leave," he said. Fin ignored him and tried talking to the trunk again.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be all right," he said to the car. He felt stupid but if Rollins was in there, she needed to know that he wasn't going anywhere. The detective heard the bomb tech cursing under his breath and then he heard the sound of snippers.

"The timer is off. Don't touch the trunk, it could be rigged," the bomb tech said as he walked over and quickly took a peak around. The wire from the bomb placed neatly next to the engine had had a little explosive putty on it which would have triggered the gas currently in the system to ignite but the larger explosives must have been in the trunk, to make sure the gasoline in the gas tank ignited.

"All right, there seems to be some sort of wire holding the trunk in place. It isn't latched," the bomb tech told him.

"What does that mean?" Fin asked.

"Means the explosive in the engine was a distraction," he said. Quickly assessing the situation the tech realized that under normal circumstances they would have sent the robot in. It blows up, it blows up but at least everyone was out. He swallowed hard and kept working. The only way to tell if someone was in there was to cut the wires keeping the trunk in place. Praying to his chosen deity, the bomb tech snipped the wires.

To Be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to get posted. I hope you all had a wonderful New Year!**

**A/N2: A shout out to all my anonymous reviewers! Thanks so much for your lovely reviews.**

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**Chapter 11**

"Ok, so far so good," the bomb tech smiled as nothing happened when the wire was snipped. Carefully he attempted to lift the trunk to see what else was going on inside. He only moved it an inch or so when he realized something was still not right as he heard a clicking sound.

"They really know how to rig a bomb," he muttered. Fin didn't like the sound of that at all and he looked over at the tech, taking his eyes off the trunk.

"What do you mean?" The detective asked.

"That clicking noise is the timer on the bomb inside the trunk. I'm going to lift the lid here," the tech explained. Carefully he continued to lift it and soon the trunk was completely open.

"Sweet Jesus," the tech heaved a breath, noting that the timer said two and a half minutes and counting.

"Amanda?" Fin looked inside to find his partner. There was a bomb strapped to her chest and the bluish color of her skin made Fin nervous. Even if they got the bomb off of her, it was possible that she had frozen to death. She had no coat, gloves, or boots on and in the freezing temperatures that was not good. Quickly the bomb tech got to work assessing the situation. He feared that the time they had left would not be enough but he kept those thoughts to himself and continued to figure out how to get the bomb off of the motionless detective.

Fin didn't distract him. He watched as the clock counted down. If this was his last few minutes on the planet he hoped that Rollins knew just how much she meant to him and that he'd tried his best to reach her in time.

Thirty seconds remained and the bomb tech was still trying to figure out which wires would not set off the bomb. It wasn't a complicated bomb like some of the ones he'd seen before but the problem was the fact that the bomber has used the same color wiring for vest. Instead of having three different colors, red, yellow, and blue, there were only two, yellow and blue. The bomber must have run out of one color or something or he got lazy because he figured no one would find the bombs so what difference did it make as long as he could tell them apart. With just fifteen second left, the tech cursed and cut the wires. They were going to die anyway if he didn't do something.

The timer stopped with just five seconds to spare. He breathed a quick sigh of relief before quickly removing the vest off of Detective Rollins. Then he pointed to Fin to get her out of the building. Carefully, the detective scooped her out of the trunk. She felt as cold as ice and he rushed as quickly as he could out of the building while the bomb tech left the explosives behind and followed him out. The bomb timer may have stopped but there was no way to tell if it had been properly diffused considering the lengths the bomber had gone through to make sure that there would be absolutely nothing left of the crime scene.

"I need a medic!" Fin shouted once they were clear. Quickly the ambulance crew swooped in and took Rollins from him. They got her on the gurney and rushed toward the ambulance.

"Her pulse is thready. We have to warm her up," the one paramedic said.

"I'm riding with you," Fin told them as they loaded his partner into the bus. No one objected and they raced off toward the hospital.

"What do we have?" Elliot asked the Bomb Squad Captain, Mike Green.

"According to my tech, Walter, a nasty combination of devices. We're going to send the robot into retrieve the vest and we'll detonate it in a safety container. As for the car bomb, we may need to detonate it. I'm not sending any more men in there so they can get themselves killed," Mike explained.

"That car is evidence," Nick said, stepping in.

"What we have gentlemen is a sophisticated bomber who has a penchant for using analog timers. I'm not sending any more men in there. It's too dangerous. I've already had to jeopardize a man and two of your team. If the car blows up, it blows up," Mike put his foot down and Elliot and Nick turned from him.

Elliot grabbed his cell phone and called Cragen, telling him to get a guard on Rollins as soon as possible. Whoever had kidnapped her wanted her dead and it was blatantly obvious they were dealing with the same psychopath that had been dumping bodies.

"No way this guy does all this stuff all by himself," Nick said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Elliot shook his head.

To Be Continued…


End file.
